Draft check and control



Jan. 16, 1940. V B RElNHARD Er AL 2,186,991

DRAFT CHECK AND CONTROL Filed Dec. 9, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS.

A TTORNEYS.

Jan. 16, 1940. J. B. REINHARD El AL DRAFT CHECK AND CONTROL Filed Dec. 9, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TORS.

A TTORN E YS.

Patented Jan. 16, 1940 v UNITED STATES DRAFT CHECK AND coN'rRo'L John B. Reinhard and Lynn J. Koch, Allentown,

Pa. said Reinhard assignor to said Koch Application December.9, 1937, Serial No. 179,012

2 Claims.

The device forming the subject matter of this application is an airship. The invention aims to provide an airship supplied at its top with a vertically tiltable draft check, and at its sides with vertically movable rudders, novel means being supplied for operating the draft check and the rudders in consonance. The invention aims to supply a device of the class described which may be steered readily, so far as vertical direction is concerned. Another object of the invention'is to supply novel means whereby, at the will of an operator, the steering or operating wheel may be held stationary or be rendered freely rotatable.

It is within the province of the disclosure to improve generally and to enhance the utility of devices of that type to which the present invention appertains.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds,

the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, may be made Within the scope of What is claimed,

without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings: Fig. 1 shows in side elevation, a device constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view showing the controls;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section, wherein parts are broken away, parts being in elevation; Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken through the draft check and attendant parts;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of the draft check, parts being broken away;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged transverse sectional view showing a portion of the draft check;

Fig. 7 is a vertical section showing the mounting of the wheel under the control of an operator; Fig. 8 is a section on the line 8-8 of Fig. '7; Fig. 9 is a section on the line 9-9 of Fig. 7. In carrying out the invention, there is provided a bullet-shaped Wingless body I (Fig. 1), I

which is pointed at both ends as shown at 2, to decrease resistance. The body I has a raised roof 3, supplied with any desired number of transparent panels 4, for the convenience of a pilot occupying a seat 5 (Fig. 3) in a pilots compartment 6 formed by a platform 1 and a vertical support in the body I, the support comprising horizontally spaced members 8 and 8 (Fig. 7).

The body I is propelled by any suitable means,

such as those indicated at 35, 2| and 22 in Fig. 1. The body I is provided with a forward landing gear 44 and with a rear landing gear 45. The body I carries, near to its rear end, an upstanding fin 64, and to the rear end of 'the fin a *5 horizontally-movable upper rudder 66 is pivoted,

as shown at 65.

The body I is provided near its rear'end with fixed lateral fins 54, to the rear edges of which vertically movable rudders 55 are pivoted by 10' means of shafts 56, mounted to rock in the sides of. the body I. Pulleys 51 are secured to the inner ends of the shafts 56.

Standards 3'! (Fig. 4) are connected to the sides of the raised roof 3 and are sustained from the 15 roof by guys 38 (Fig. 3) or equivalent means. An

inverted trough shaped draft check 39 (Figs. 1

and 4) is provided and has longitudinal corrugations 40. The side portions of the draft check 39 are pivotally connected at 4|, midway between the ends of the draft check, to the upper ends of the standards 37, the construction being such that the draft check can have longitudinal vertical tilting movement. Flexible elements 42 are connected at their ends to the ends of the draft check 39, and pass over idlers 43 mounted on the roof 3. The draft check 39 comprises spaced walls II and I4, joined together by longitudinal beams I5. To decrease resistance, the draft check 39 is thinned at its ends, as shown at I8 in Fig. 5.

A shaft 58 is mounted to rotate and to move endwise in the supports 8 and 9. A hand wheel 59 is provided and has a hub I6 secured at I! to 35 the shaft 58. The hub I6 is provided at its forward end with teeth I8 adapted to interlock with teeth I9 on a tubular clutch 20 having a flange 23 secured at 24 to the rear support 9. The shaft 58 is provided intermediate its ends with a squared portion 25 received against rotation but for sliding movement in the direction of the axis of the shaft 58 in a squared bore 26 formed in a drum held against longitudinal movement between the supports 8 and 9. On its forward portion the 45 shaft 58 has a stop flange 21, adapted to cooperate with the forward support 8. The shaft 58 can be drawn backwardly until the stop flange 21 engages the forward support 8, and then the teeth I8 on the hub I6 of the hand wheel 58 are 50 out of engagement with the teeth I9 on the clutch 20: whereupon the shaft 58 and the drum 6!) may be rotated freely. By advancing the shaft 58 until the teeth I8 and I9 are interlocked, the shaft and the drum 60 are held in any position 55 to which they have been rotated and the pilot may release his hold on the wheel 59.

Double run flexible elements 6| (Figs. 9 and 2) are engaged with the drum 60 and are engaged with idlers 62 supported on the machine. The flexible elements 6| are looped at 28 about the pulleys 5! on the shafts 56 of the vertically movable rudders 55. The flexible elements 42 which are assembled with the ends of the draft check 39 are connected at 63 with one run of the flexible elements 6|.

By means of the hand wheel 59, the shaft 58, the drum 60, the flexible elements 61, the pulleys 51 and the shafts 56, vertical swinging adjustment is imparted to the lateral rudders 55, and the draft check 39 is tilted vertically in synchronism with the rudders 55, because one run of the flexible elements 6| are connected at 63 with the flexible elements 42 that are assembled with the draft check 39. The draft check 39 is tilted in consona-nce with the operation of the rudders 55 and directs an air current downward at adjusted angles upon the lateral rudders 55, thereby aiding the ship to travel upwardly or downwardly, depending upon the positions of the parts 39 and 55.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In an airship, a body, a shaft supported for rotation on the body and under the control of an operator, a drum carried by the shaft, rear rudders mounted for vertical swinging movement on the sides of the body, pulleys connected to the inner ends of the rudders, double run flexible ele ments connected to the drum and looped about the pulleys, means for guiding the intermediate portions of the flexible elements, an inverted trough shaped draft check pivotally mounted on top of the body and tiltable longitudinally of the body, second flexible elements having their ends connected to the end portions of the draft check, means on the body for guiding the intermediate portions of the second flexible elements, and means for connecting the intermediate portions of each of the first-specified flexible elements with one run of the double run flexible elements, thereby to secure consonant operation of the draft check and the rudders.

2. In an airship, a body, supports on the body, a shaft under the control of an operator and mounted for rotation and for longitudinal movement on the supports, interengaging elements carried by the shaft and by one of the supports for holding the shaft against rotation when the shaft is moved longitudinally in one direction, the shaft being movable longitudinally in an opposite direction, to disengage said elements and to set the shaft free for rotation, a drum held against longitudinal movement between the supports, the shaft being longitudinally movable in the drum, coacting parts on the shaft and on the drum connecting the shaft and the drum for simultaneous rotation, an inverted trough shaped draft check extended longitudinally of the body and mounted for vertical tilting movement on top of the body, rear rudders mounted for vertical swinging adjustment on the sides of the body and means for actuating the draft check and the rudder together, from the drum.

JOHN B. REINI-IARD. LYNN J. KOCH. 

